Tampons are a preferred method for absorbing menstrual fluid by many women because, among other reasons, they are traditionally more portable than sanitary napkins.
While the tampons themselves are only a couple of inches long, when they are inserted in the traditional tube-type applicators, the applicators add substantially to the length of the tampon so that the composite may be three or four inches or more in length. The tampon applicator is long enough so that it cannot easily be carried in the woman's hand without a portion of it being exposed, resulting in some social embarrassment.
Another problem is associated with the insertion of the tampon, and that is the friction encountered during periods of low flow at the forward edge of the tampon material. As a result, several tampon applicators have been designed which have an outer tube hemispherically shaped or bullet shaped at the leading edge, which enclose the tampon prior to insertion and are made of a smooth-surfaced material having less frictional drag than the tampon itself. They flex open upon the application of pressure from the bottom of the applicator. Examples of these tampons can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,807,399; 3,830,236; 3,895,634; 3,983,868; 2,754,822; 3,015,332; 3,204,635; 3,433,225; 3,581,744; 3,628,533; 3,696,812; 3,699,962; and 3,765,416. As is taught in several of these patents, one type of application is that a cylindrical tampon of substantially equal diameter along the length of the cylinder is inserted through the forward or leading edge of the outer sleeve of the applicator during assembly where the individual segments are projectedly straight or open. After insertion these approximately triangular-shaped segments at the forward edge of the applicator are thermo-mechanically closed to provide the hemisphere or bullet-shaped outer surface. A separate, inner portion of the applicator extends from the bottom or rearward portion of the applicator and, when pressure is applied on the bottom of this inner portion, somewhat in the manner of a hypodermic syringe, the forward part of the inner portion pushes against the base of the tampon forcing the leading edge of the tampon out through the forward edge of the outer tube of the applicator. Other types of applicators have the segments at the forward edge closed in an arcuate shape prior to assembly. The tampon is loaded from the rearward end of the applicator.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,101,713 issued to D. O. Sargent describes a telescoping tampon applicator having an inner tube or sleeve and an outer sleeve. The outer sleeve of the tampon applicator has shoulders located at a portion of the inner surface approximately midway along its length. The shoulders are designed to retain the inserted tampon within the forward portion of the outer tube of the tampon applicator. The outer tube also has, at the inner surface, guides which taper toward the base from a portion near the midpoint of the length of the outer tube. These guides are designed to engage slots which extend from the forward edge of the inner tube to a point approximately halfway down the length of the tube. Other slots on the inner tube are designed to mate with the shoulders of the outer tube with these slots having stops located near the forward and the rearward portion of the inner tube. The concept of this particular delivery system is that when the composite is assembled the tampon rests on the shoulders of the outer tube which also surrounds the inner tube so that the inner tube, mating as indicated with the outer tube, also surrounds the tampon. For insertion the inner tube is pulled backwards, the tampon which must be radially expandable, radially expands so that it abuts the inner surface of the outer tube. The inner tube which has been slid backward so that it is extended as far as possible in relation to the stop mechanism described above, is then pushed forward to deliver the tampon. This is possible because the tampon after removal of the inner tube cannot slide backward farther than the stops and, as it is radially expanded its outer edges expand so that they are in alignment with the leading edge of the inner sleeve.
There are difficulties inherent in the Sargent approach however. First, as mentioned, it is particularly desirable that the outer sleeve of the tampon applicator be made of a smooth plastic. Conventionally these plastics are moldable and are shaped around a mandrel. The utilization of the tampon supports midway along the inside of the outer sleeve would be impossible to construct by conventional high speed plastic molding techniques utilizing a mandrel. In addition, the delivery system depends upon the radial expansion of the tampon resulting from compression. In the dry state, tampons are slow to radially expand especially when they have been substantially compressed and therefore actual delivery of the tampon after the applicator has been inserted may not be accomplished.
Also, even though mating sleeves are used for this particular tampon, due to the particular construction features of the outer sleeve, i.e. particularly the tampon abutment portions on the inner surface, the applicator as assembled in the closed position is approximately twice as long as the tampon itself thereby not substantially reducing the overall length of the applicator-tampon combination.
The subject application is designed to overcome the disadvantages inherent in Sargent by producing a tampon applicator, having, in one embodiment, a plastic outer tube with an arcuate leading edge; the applicator being of substantially reduced length and capable of delivery of a tampon which need not be radially expandable.